Prices are now 26.2x higher than in 1917
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, something that cost $100 in 1917 costs about $2,617.03 today. The inflation rate in 1917 was 17.4%, and total inflation from 1917 to August 2026 was 2,517%.
The S&P 500 index started 1917 at 9.57. With dividends reinvested, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1917 would have grown to about $5,332,298.24 by 2026, before adjusting for inflation.
| All prices, on average | $2,617.03 |
| Food | $2,400.66 |
| Rent | $2,083.88 |
| Electricity | $734.92 |
| Clothing | $744.75 |
Cost of living in 1917 by category
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing average prices for individual items in 1980. For 1917, these comparisons use the consumer price index for each spending category: each row shows what something that cost $100 in 1917 costs in August 2026, and how that compares with overall inflation of 2,517%.
Food & drink
| Category | $100 in 1917 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $100 in 1917 today$2,400.66 | Compared with inflation8% less than inflation |
Housing & energy
| Category | $100 in 1917 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $100 in 1917 today$2,083.88 | Compared with inflation20% less than inflation |
| Electricity | $100 in 1917 today$734.92 | Compared with inflation72% less than inflation |
Other costs
| Category | $100 in 1917 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 in 1917 today$744.75 | Compared with inflation72% less than inflation |
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1917 worth today?
$1 in 1917 has about the same buying power as $26.17 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1917?
The U.S. inflation rate in 1917 was 17.4%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1916 to 1917.
Where these numbers come from
Category comparisons use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for each category, from the 1917 annual average to August 2026. Overall inflation uses the same consumer price index as our 1917 inflation calculator. S&P 500 values are from Robert Shiller's historical stock market data.
Prices in other years
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
- 1929
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- 1949
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- 1952
- 1953
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- 1969
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- 1972
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- 1974
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- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
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- 1987
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- 1989
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- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
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- 1997
- 1998
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- 2000
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- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
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- 2006
- 2007
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- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
| All prices, on average | $2,617.03 |
| Food | $2,400.66 |
| Rent | $2,083.88 |
| Electricity | $734.92 |
| Clothing | $744.75 |